Venison Zucchini Bake

Uncle Dobo's Note:

Also known as: "Guwakaan Dleeyí & Dzísk’w Dleeyí" From the SEARHC (SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium) website comes a recipe for using the extra venison and/or moose that it seems many Alaskans have in their freezers. "Deer and moose meat are lean alternatives to ground beef, and the vegetables work towards your goal of eating 5 fruits and vegetables each day. Serve this dish with cornbread or whole grain rolls, and you've got the makings of a terrific meal."

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 lb venison or 1 lb moose sausage , ground
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1 green pepper , chopped
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 (10 ½ ounce) can tomato soup
• 4 cups canned tomatoes , crushed
• 1 (10 inch) zucchini , sliced
• 2 eggs , beaten
• cornmeal , for dredging
• wheat germ , for dredging
• Grape-nuts cereal , dredging
• salt and pepper
• vegetable oil (for frying)
• 2 cups reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• ½ cup breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Brown venison or moose sausage with onion. Add green pepper, oregano, parsley, basil, garlic, tomato soup, and canned tomatoes. Simmer for 30 minute.
3. Mix together 1 part cornmeal, 1 part wheat germ, and 1 part Grapenuts cereal to make the coating you're going to dredge the zucchini inches.
4. Dip zucchini slices in beaten egg, then in combination of cornmeal, wheat germ, and cereal, salt & pepper. Fry in just a little oil in non-stick fry pan until brown & crispy.
5. In 9 x 13 baking pan, place a layer of fried zucchini, then a layer of shredded cheese, then a layer of meat sauce. Repeat until you reach the top, ending with a layer of low fat cheese.
6. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs and bake at 350 degrees until bubbling, about 20-30 minute.

Reviews

[BonnieZ]

When a friend gave us a ton of venison in various forms, my first reaction was yuck, but I got over my mental block and began looking for recipes to prepare and use the stuff. This recipe was really delicious. Instead of frying the zucchini, I breaded them and then baked them at high heat until crisp. Also, I did not have the grapenuts cereal, so I made do with just the cornmeal and wheatgerm for the coating, adding a bit of parmesan for flavor and at it worked well. Thank you Uncle Dobo for sharing the recipe. Now I know what I'm going to do with the other two packages of venison sausage sitting in my freezer!